


Follow Your Lead

by demishock



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, IgNoct, Ignoct Week, M/M, ignoctweek, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 19:21:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13620027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demishock/pseuds/demishock
Summary: There's nothing Noctis hates more than standing on ceremony, and the upcoming masquerade ball has him all out of sorts. He's always relied on Ignis to set him to rights when everything feels like it's spiraling out of control, but what's he supposed to do when Ignis is at the center of the spiral?





	Follow Your Lead

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ignoctweek over on tumblr, for the Day 3 prompt: "Masquerade Ball."
> 
> Phew, this one turned out a lot longer than I originally planned... It takes place shortly after Ignis's episode of the Brotherhood anime.
> 
> Inspirations for this included "Valse di Fantastica," "Swan Lake," "Shall We Dance?," "And the Waltz Goes On," the masks for glasses at justposhmasks(dot)com, and the Filigree Masquerade Mask Tutorial by cynthialoowho on youtube. You can't convince me that Ignis and Noctis didn't make Noct's Assassin's Creed cosplay together. Ignis did the sewing and Noctis made the accessories and that's my story and I'm sticking to it. X3
> 
> The line about Noct's mom is part of another headcanon of mine, and credit goes to cabinfever for helping me out with a couple bits of phrasing. All the thanks in the world to my friends over on tumblr for the moral support while I flail around helplessly trying to Be A Writer.

Noctis reached to his left and felt nothing.

Blinking like he'd just been woken up from a nap, he turned his head to the empty space on the table where his hand was now resting. Having confirmed that the space was, indeed, empty, he turned the other way, eyes alighting on the haphazard pile of envelopes to his right.

" _Finally_ ," he breathed, and laid his forehead down on the table, his arms hanging limp at his sides.

Ignis chuckled from the kitchen.

"All finished, are we?"

Noctis made a nonverbal noise in the affirmative, too tired even to form the word 'yes.'

"Just in time," Ignis said, and his voice sounded closer. Noctis heard the sound of a dish being placed on the table near his head. "I invite you to eat quickly, before it gets cold."

Noctis groaned, but lifted his head nonetheless.

"I invite _you_ to-- You know what? Never mind," Noctis grumbled, deciding against the vulgar quip he'd been about to make. It wasn't Ignis's fault that he'd just spent the better part of two hours affixing his royal seal to the envelopes that Ignis was now carefully stacking into a cardboard box. He'd volunteered.

There were a thousand in total: invitations to a masquerade ball being held at the Caelum Via resort to commemorate the 145th anniversary of the raising of the Wall. Noctis had arrived home from school to find Ignis seated at his kitchen table, diligently sealing the envelopes closed and forming them into neat columns. As the youngest member of the Royal Council, the task had been 'entrusted' to him, which Noctis knew just meant 'foisted off on.' Thinking it was a lousy thing to make someone do on a Friday night, Noctis had offered to help, and here they now were - finished in time for dinner.

Noctis started on his food while Ignis carried the box full of invitations into the foyer to bring with him when he departed later.

"I don't know why we're even having a party," he groused around a mouthful of rice as Ignis rejoined him at the table. "Why would we want to celebrate the Wall?"

Ignis took his seat and said, "The Wall protects us from the threat of the Niflheim army."

"Yeah, _us_ ," Noctis stressed. " _Just_ us. Just Insomnia. The rest of Lucis is defenseless - Accordo and Tenebrae, too. How is that worthy of praise?" He'd just this morning received a letter from Luna in the notebook they shared, and her situation was fresh in his mind.

When he glanced across at Ignis, he thought he saw a flash of pride in his expression. He ducked his head.

"I do not disagree, Noct," Ignis said. "And it is wise of you to acknowledge it. However, there is some victory to be found in the fact that Niflheim has not been able to breach the Crown City. So long as Insomnia remains under Lucian control, there is still hope that we might someday regain what has been lost. This gala is meant to celebrate the citizens that we _have_ been able to protect."

"I guess," Noctis said. He pushed some green onions away from the breaded pork in his bowl, ignoring Ignis's sigh as he did so. "I still don't wanna go."

"Unfortunately, as the prince, I'm afraid your attendance will be both expected and required."

"I know."

Silence fell between them for a few moments, broken only by the clinking of their utensils. Eventually, Ignis cleared his throat.

"Thank you, again, for your help with the invitations, Noct. You really didn't have to trouble yourself."

Noctis gave a half shrug.

"I wanted to," he said, which was sort of true. He hadn't wanted to do the menial task itself, but he _had_ wanted to do something to lighten Ignis's load, so it amounted to the same thing, really.

Things had been strained between them before their argument a few months ago. They'd shared their version of an apology over cup noodles, and Noctis, for his part, wasn't holding anything against Ignis - he'd been right about everything, even if it had been painful and Noctis hadn't wanted to hear it. Since then, he'd been determined to be better about his responsibilities. But it was hard. He knew it was hard for Ignis, too. Ignis did so much for him… he didn't know why he struggled so much with returning the favor.

He was _trying_ , though.

Ignis, as always, deftly changed tracks.

"We've a fitting for your suit in two weeks, but have you given any thought to the mask you intend to wear with it?"

"Dunno exactly what the design will be yet, but I know I'm gonna make it myself," Noctis said. He'd been idly doodling ideas in the margins of his notebook at school all day. There were several that he was pretty happy with, so now it was just a matter of narrowing it down. A thought occurred to him, and he tried to squash it, but it came out of his mouth unbidden. "I could make yours too, if you want."

Ignis looked up from his bowl and reached up to resettle his glasses. Noctis knew that move; Ignis always fussed with his glasses when he was trying to cover up his reaction to something. He was never quite fast enough, in Noctis's experience; he caught the surprise in Ignis's expression a split second before his hand obscured it.

"That's very kind of you to offer, Noct," Ignis said. He sounded hesitant.

"What's the matter? Afraid I'm gonna make you go as Kenny Crow or something?"

"…I wasn't until you suggested it," Ignis said, raising an eyebrow.

Noctis laughed.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Specs. So whaddaya say?"

"Are you certain it won't take up too much of your time?"

"It'll be fine."

"...Very well, then. I would be honored."

Noctis rubbed his neck, embarrassed.

"Jeez... You don't have to be so formal about it."

"Only as formal as the occasion demands," Ignis said.

They finished the rest of their meal in silence - Ignis reading the news on his phone and Noctis playing a game on his.

After Ignis had cleaned up their dinner dishes, he prepared to leave, and Noctis thought of something.

"Mind if I borrow your specs, Specs?" he asked. Ignis looked perplexed, but moved to oblige him. Noctis shook his head. "Your spares, I mean," he clarified. "I need to make sure I get the spacing right for your eyes. For the mask."

"Ah, of course," Ignis replied. He pulled a thin, rectangular case from his bag and handed it over. Noctis noticed a split second of hesitation, and Ignis must have noticed he'd noticed, because he added, "Not that I mean to rush you, but…"

"I won't keep 'em long, promise." Noctis knew how Ignis got about being underprepared.

Ignis nodded curtly, relief flickering over his features.

"Much appreciated. Have a good night, Noct."

"Yeah. You too."

\---

With the masquerade ball only a month away, Noctis wanted to have as much time to work on the masks as possible. After spending most of Saturday watching video tutorials online for every conceivable kind of mask-making method and finding several he thought might work, he decided to shop for the materials on Sunday. It wasn't hard to convince Prompto to tag along. While Prompto wasn't particularly crafty himself, he appreciated that Noctis (semi-secretly) was, and a promise to stop at the electronics store down the street so Prompto could drool over the latest camera equipment didn't hurt.

For now, they wandered the aisles of the art supply store, looking for inspiration.

"What happened to those sketches from the other day?" Prompto asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Noctis paused to leaf through a pattern book.

Truth be told, Noctis had looked them over after Ignis had left Friday night and found them all wanting. If he was going to do this, he wanted it to be special. The basics weren't going to cut it.

Aloud, all he said was, "Looking for more of a challenge."

"Sure," Prompto said, sounding unconvinced. He meandered down to the end of the aisle, then circled back. "Hey, has that book got anything with moons in it?"

Noctis glanced up at him questioningly.

"I mean, cuz of how you're always mooning over him…"

Noctis nearly threw the book at him.

"I do not."

"You do, too. Maybe something with heart-shaped eye-holes for yours?"

"Shut _up_."

Noctis was starting to regret asking for company. He knew Prompto would never bring this stuff up in front of Ignis, but it was embarrassing all the same. They'd never really discussed it; Noctis hadn't even formally admitted to it... whatever "it" was. But Prompto had formed an opinion from the candid photos he often took, and he never missed an opportunity to tease him about it. He'd shown some of them to Noctis - pictures of him looking at Ignis with veritable hearts in his eyes. He hadn't realized he'd been being so obvious. Noctis had been torn between wanting to burn them and wanting to keep them for himself.

He sullenly turned the page as Prompto snickered beside him.

"Dunno why you're stressing over it; Ignis is gonna love it no matter what you pick."

Noctis tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat at the idea of 'Ignis' and 'love' in the same sentence.

"It's a really formal party," Noctis said, trying to cover for himself. "I don't want to embarrass him, or my dad."

Prompto sobered some at that.

"You won't," his best friend assured him with a clap on the shoulder and a confidence that Noctis couldn’t quite seem to match. "Oh, hey, that one's pretty cool!"

Noctis paused mid-flip. Prompto tapped the page.

"You think?" Noctis asked.

Prompto nodded emphatically.

"Can _totally_ see him in that."

Noctis considered it for a moment. The mask in question was shaped to resemble a coeurl. The closest Noctis had ever been to a coeurl was through the mesh fence at Insomnia's zoo, so he wasn't much of an expert on them. He had to admit, though, having been around Ignis as long as he had, that they shared the same feral grace.

He also happened to know that Ignis had a fondness for the spotted patterns on their fur. He never wore it blatantly, for the sake of decorum, since he was forever trying to make a good impression with the Council. But he included it in his wardrobe in subtle ways, such as the handkerchief he always carried, the glasses case he'd handed to Noctis two nights ago, and a pair of briefs that Noctis was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to know about.

Fighting to keep his composure, Noctis tried to focus instead on how best to alter the pattern to suit his purposes. He had those glasses to consider, after all, and Noctis wanted Ignis to be able to keep them on with the mask.

"…All right," he said, finally, managing to picture something that might work.

Prompto pumped his fist.

"One down, one to go! And then it's sweet, sweet electronics shopping time."

Noctis snorted at him and started flipping pages again, but after scouring the rest of the book for something suitable for himself, he came up short.

Determined that at least Ignis's mask would be a success, he moved on to looking for materials. It was there that the inspiration for his own mask finally presented itself: a quartet of black and silver fish, made of flexible metal filigree. He knew from one of the videos he'd watched that with those and some hot glue, he could make a pretty awesome-looking mask.

Using the fish as a starting point, he'd scoured the bins for pieces that would fit them together. To his relief, he also found plenty of pieces to fashion Ignis's coeurl face. The filigree was easy to bend, and Noctis imagined he'd have little difficulty adding pieces that could be twisted around the frames of Ignis's glasses to hold the mask in place.

Prompto was more than happy to help him pick out the myriad filigree pieces, and afterwards they lucked out again at the electronics store.

They parted ways after that: Prompto happily clutching the new memory card he'd managed to find on sale, and Noctis pleased with his own purchases.

\---

It wasn't until the middle of the following week that Noctis finally found the time to lay out his haul on the kitchen table. He winced as he set out Ignis's spare glasses amidst the assortment of materials he'd bought; he'd meant to return them to Ignis earlier than this, but school and his royal duties had gotten in the way.

He planned to rectify that today. Noctis knew that this was one of the busier nights in Ignis's schedule, and he was counting on being alone for the evening so as not to ruin the surprise.

Nodding to himself in satisfaction that he had everything he needed to get started, he plugged in the hot glue gun, put on his favorite playlist, and set to work.

\---

Noctis woke hours later to darkness and the sound of his phone buzzing off the edge of the table and onto the floor.

He sat up and looked around groggily, cursing under his breath as he reached down to retrieve it just in time for it to go to voicemail.

He sat back up and smelled burnt plastic.

Wide awake now, he hurried to pull the plug on the hot glue gun. Nothing appeared to be on fire, but his impromptu nap had cost him a perfectly good glue stick. Sighing, he checked on the masks next. He'd fallen asleep after finishing them, and they, at least, had thankfully escaped his negligence unscathed. He turned off the music he'd left playing, and his ears rang in the sudden quiet.

His phone started vibrating again. Noctis swiped to answer this time.

"Yeah?"

"What were you, asleep?" Gladio sounded exasperated.

Noctis made a noncommittal noise in reply, fiddling with one of the leftover filigree pieces on the tabletop.

"At any rate, I've got food if you want some."

"What kind of food?"

"The dinner kind."

Noctis snorted.

"Fine. Come on up."

"You got it."

They disconnected, and Noctis glanced down again at the table…

…The table that was covered in the chaos of his project. He had just about decided to try to shove it all off to one side when he heard his front door beep open, and he gave up, slouching back in his chair.

"The hell you sitting around in the dark for?" Gladio grumbled, turning the overhead light on.

In the end, they wound up using Noctis's coffee table and sitting on the couch to eat. Gladio had brought pizza, and they polished it off in no time.

"So what're you really doing here?" Noctis asked once they'd finished. It wasn't like Gladio to just show up unannounced.

"Was running errands out this way and Iggy asked me to make sure you were still alive. I texted him and told him you were, for the record."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"He tried to call you half a dozen times earlier and you didn't pick up. You know how he gets when he can't reach you."

Noctis woke his phone back up. Sure enough, he had several missed calls, from both Ignis and Gladio. "What's the emergency?"

Gladio sighed.

"Told him you forgot… You were supposed to meet him at the tailor's two hours ago. Fitting for the masquerade. Sound familiar?"

Noctis felt his heart sink.

"…That's not tomorrow?"

"'Fraid not."

"Shit." Noctis scrubbed a hand over his face. He HAD forgotten. "Sorry..."

"Not me you need to apologize to."

"Right…" He grimaced. "How come you didn't tell me from the get-go? I could've--"

Gladio waved him off.

"It was already over and done with. Too late to go now. Iggy said it's been handled."

Noctis stared at his hands in his lap. Here he'd been trying so hard lately to get his act together…

"Hey." Gladio gave his knee a nudge. "It was an accident. Just set an alert or something next time, yeah?"

Noctis nodded.

Gladio stood up and stretched. Then he motioned toward the mess on the kitchen table.

"That what you've been up to all afternoon?"

"Yeah."

Gladio wandered over for a closer look. Noctis stood up and followed.

"What'd you make two masks for? Planning on trying to go incognito halfway through the night?"

Noctis swatted at him as he passed, moving over to the table to check on his work again. He picked a stray bit of hot glue off one of them.

"One's for Ignis. I made it to fit on his glasses. Or at least, I think I did."

He opened the case Ignis had given him, unfolded the frames, and took a breath. Moment of truth…

Noctis had used the frames earlier to trace a rough pattern. Now, as he lined up the finished mask with the glasses, he was relieved to find that the eyes were spaced correctly. He carefully bent the extra filigree he'd added around the arms of the frames until the mask held in place without wiggling around. Then he held it up for Gladio's inspection.

Gladio gave a low whistle.

"You did all that in an afternoon? Color me impressed."

Noctis hoped that the heat he felt in his face wasn't visible.

"No big deal," he said, even though it was, a little bit.

"And the fish one's for you, obviously."

"Yup."

"How come I don't get a Lucis Caelum original?"

Noctis blanched, and Gladio laughed, mussing his hair, much to Noctis's chagrin.

"Never mind. I know why," Gladio said, and Noctis scowled, sure now that he was probably blushing.

"You know nothing," he muttered, but Gladio just smirked at him.

"Good call with the coeurl, though. I think it'll suit him."

"Prompto said the same thing."

"Kid has a good eye for aesthetics," Gladio said with a nod of approval. "Shame he won't be there to take any pictures."

"Yeah, well; can't have regular citizens showing up at a ball meant to celebrate protecting the citizens," Noctis said, still feeling bitter about the whole thing. Truth be told, his dad probably would have let him invite Prompto if he'd asked, but he'd dropped the idea after Prompto had confessed that the idea of attending a shindig with that many upper-class people made him a little too nervous.

Noctis could relate; it made _him_ nervous, and he was one of them.

"Hey, gentry are people, too," Gladio said solemnly. He slapped his palms against the back of the chair. "Anyway, I need to get going. If I don’t make it home soon, Jared'll have given Iris the run of the place. Old man can't resist her puppy dog pout."

"Neither can you."

"The trick is to not make eye contact."

"Good luck with that…"

Gladio waved in parting and made his way out, leaving Noctis alone with his thoughts… and his phone. He tapped out a few attempts at an apologetic text to Ignis but couldn't seem to get it to say what he wanted to say. He really was sorry. He'd forsaken one set of party preparations for another. At least he'd gotten both masks done...

In the end, all he could manage was to migrate the mess from the kitchen table onto the bed in his spare room before he passed out in his own bed for the night.

\---

For the next week and a half, Noctis was fairly certain that Ignis was avoiding him. Whether he was angry, or just really busy, Noctis didn't know, and didn't dare ask. Every evening after school, there were signs that Ignis had been by his apartment. There were meals for him to heat up for dinner, and reports for him to read. The suit Noctis had been meant to get fitted at the tailors hung on his bedroom door with a note imploring him to try it on and make sure it fit. Ignis had retrieved his spare glasses, which Noctis had left out on the table for him.

But Ignis himself was not present, and Noctis couldn't help noticing that his absence traced back to the day he'd messed up.

Noctis knew he was probably being paranoid. There were a lot of preparations going on for this masquerade that he wasn't involved with but that Ignis no doubt was, and it wasn't like he'd never gone this long without seeing Ignis before, since he'd moved out of the Citadel.

He still didn't like it.

In the meantime, though, he tried to focus on his studies, and on keeping the apartment clean…ish. He spent the better part of an evening trying on the stupid suit, which, despite Noctis not being great at putting it on and taking it off on his own, fit just fine. Noctis was sure that was probably also Ignis's doing, somehow. He almost texted Ignis telling him as much, but wimped out at the last minute and scribbled a note to leave on the table instead.

The note was gone the next afternoon.

\---

Prompto eventually picked up on Noctis's more-dour-than-usual mood, and on their way to the arcade mid-week, he pressed Noctis until he admitted the cause. Prompto shook his head in dismay.

"You gotta talk to him, dude."

Noctis sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

"I know."

\---

Noctis tried, during his training one afternoon, to get Gladio to tell him whether Ignis had said anything about him in the last few days. All he got for his efforts was distracted, though, and Gladio did not miss the opportunity to knock him soundly on his ass.

"You should talk to him yourself," Gladio admonished him, hauling him up off the ground.

Noctis shrugged Gladio's hand off and fell back into his battle stance.

"I know."

\---

He wrote to Luna, hoping she might have some words of wisdom to offer. Her reply came a few days later, in bold, clear letters:

_"Perhaps if you were to speak with him, the problem would resolve itself."_

"I know!" Noctis hollered in frustration, as if Luna would be able to hear him from here.

"Know what?" Ignis's voice sounded from the doorway.

Noctis nearly jumped out of his skin. He was on his feet in an instant, spinning around and gaping at Ignis in shock. Ignis was dressed to the nines, and Noctis felt suddenly very much like he was forgetting something important again.

Ignis tilted his head quizzically as Noctis's thoughts crashed around uselessly inside his brain.

"Know… no… Forget it. Never mind," he managed after a moment.

'Talk to him,' his friends had all said. Too bad talking really wasn't Noctis's forte.

Ignis was looking at him with concern, so he tried again.

"Sorry. Wasn't expecting you."

Now Ignis frowned.

"I texted you this morning - the ball is tonight. I've come to help you prepare."

Noctis could have kicked himself. He'd been so caught up in worrying that Ignis was mad at him that he'd lost track of time. Now the day that had started this whole mess was finally here.

"Right. That. Sure. Let me just…"

Ignis placed a grounding hand on his shoulder.

"One thing at a time, Noct."

He removed his hand, and Noctis wished he would put it back.

Ignis motioned toward his room.

"Let's get you dressed."

Noctis allowed himself to be steered into his bedroom, where Ignis expertly helped him into the suit he'd struggled with himself days…? Weeks? It felt like forever ago, but Noctis was sure it wasn't. He kept silent as Ignis fussed with his buttons, and his tie, and his hair, the latter of which he gave up as a lost cause in a matter of moments.

When he'd finished his ministrations, Ignis gave one last tug to Noctis's lapels, straightening his jacket.

"One prince, primed for presentation," he said with a nod of satisfaction. "Now… please tell me you've a pair of masks for us somewhere."

"Yeah," Noctis managed past the lump in his throat. "Just a sec."

He hurried to the spare room and retrieved the masks from where he'd left them amidst the remains of his art supply run, then headed back. Now that he was looking at them again, he could see all the spots where he'd joined the filigree together at the wrong angles, and the bits of glue he hadn't picked off…

His steps slowed, then stopped.

He couldn't ask Ignis to wear this at all, never mind in public. It was an embarrassment. A little kid's craft project.

"Noct?"

Ignis approached him where he'd halted his progress in the hallway. When Noctis neglected to hand over the mask, Ignis carefully plucked one from his grasp himself and studied it for a moment.

"Well, this one is o-fish-ially yours," he said, and Noctis wanted to laugh; he really did. "Which means this one must be mine."

And he divested Noctis of the other mask.

"Hey, Specs, I'm really sorry--" Noctis began.

"--This is extraordinary," Ignis said at the exact same time.

Noctis paused, and blinked up at him, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"It's… huh?"

Ignis turned the coeurl mask every which way, admiring it from all angles.

"Truly, Noct. You've outdone yourself. Thank you."

Noctis didn't know what to say. This wasn't at all what he'd been expecting. Prompto's words came back to him: _'Ignis is gonna love it no matter what.'_

Recovering himself as best he could, Noctis tried to shrug off the praise.

"No big deal. It, uh… should hook right onto your glasses. It worked with the spare pair, anyway."

Ignis removed his glasses to try it out, and Noctis distracted himself by putting his own mask on, hoping it would hide some of the confusion and doubt he was still feeling. He guessed it must have been paranoia after all. Ignis didn't seem the least bit upset with him, about the tailor or anything else.

He looked up, and stopped breathing.

The others had been way off about the coeurl mask suiting Ignis.

It didn't suit him.

It _exalted_ him.

He stared a few moments too long.

"Cat got your tongue?" Ignis asked with a wicked smile.

"You look Spec-tacular," Noctis said, a bit more breathlessly than he'd intended. He was thankful when Ignis laughed, even though Noctis had meant it from the bottom of his rapidly beating heart.

"And you look fin-tastic. Shall we be on our way?"

It was a good thing that Ignis had to take the mask off to drive; Noctis wasn't sure he could have kept his eyes off him otherwise.

\---

Ignis dropped Noctis off at the hotel entrance and then went to park the car.

Noctis entered the chaos of the lobby to find King Regis directing various attendants to and fro. He wore a mask styled in the image of the royal crest, and Noctis felt his mouth go dry at the sight of his dad, leaning on a cane with a skull where his face ought to be. Not for the first time, Noctis wondered why everything to do with his family seemed to have to revolve around death.

Noctis approached his dad, who turned and caught sight of him at the same moment. He chuckled at Noctis's mask.

"Fish. Of course," he said in lieu of a proper greeting. "I should have guessed! Your mother would be thrilled."

Noctis appreciated the lack of formality, but it didn't escape his notice that his dad hadn't said anything about being thrilled, himself.

He opened his mouth to comment, but Clarus swooped in like the eagle whose face he wore tonight to pull the king away to attend to something or other, and Noctis lost his chance. Gladio appeared to take their place. He, too, was wearing an eagle mask, though his was less ornate than his father's.

"Come on, let's head on up," he said, clearing a path for Noctis to the elevator.

Noctis had never been to this particular venue, so he was surprised when, upon reaching the roof, there was a large aquarium crowning the building. He had a brief moment of excitement as he realized that the dais where he and his father would be spending most of the evening was right beside the gigantic fish tank, but his hopes were soon dashed, as their seats had their backs to it. He wondered if he could get away with putting his mask on the back of his head so that he could watch the fish instead of the party…

His father arrived shortly thereafter, along with a cavalcade of attendants. Ignis was among them, and he beelined for the dais.

"Lookin' sharp, Iggy," Gladio said, giving Noctis's shoulder a pointed nudge.

"Likewise," Ignis said, his lips twitching upward. "You wear your family's emblem well."

"Heard your mask was hand-crafted by the Prince of Lucis himself."

"Truly one of a kind," Ignis affirmed. He smiled fondly at Noctis.

Noctis blew his bangs out of his face and glanced away.

"You guys are too much."

They both had a good chuckle at his expense, before an announcement rang out from one of the staff that the first guests had begun to arrive. Ignis moved to take his place among the line of retainers at the balcony, and Gladio took up his post just to the side and behind Noctis's seat. Clarus went to stand on the other side, mirroring his son, and Regis made his way carefully up the steps to his own chair.

"Try not to look so happy," he told Noctis teasingly, before sinking into his seat.

Noctis, scoffing, followed suit, and the masquerade began.

\---

After all the stress the preparations had caused, the ball itself turned out to be a mind-numbingly boring affair.

Noctis sat beside his father on the dais, scowling out at the attendees from behind his mask. Periodically, he'd be called upon to greet this business owner or that councilmember, which was all the more awkward because he didn't recognize anyone with their masks on. Mostly, though, it was a lot of sitting and watching everyone else have a good time.

He tried not to fidget in his fancy chair. Gladio moved from his place at attention beside him, leaning down so Noctis could hear him better.

"How you holdin' up?" Gladio asked, and Noctis guessed he hadn't tried hard enough.

"Sleepy…" he mumbled. Even with the music playing and all the people dancing and chattering around him, he was worried that his dad might overhear him complaining. It was unbecoming of a prince, and he really didn't want his behavior to reflect poorly on his dad. He didn't know how Gladio and his dad did it, either; at least Noctis got to sit down.

"Just pretend you're fishing. You can sit still for hours when you're doing that. What's the difference?"

There was a HUGE difference, as far as Noctis was concerned, but he knew it was pointless to protest. His friends didn't understand the finer points of fishing. Never mind the fact that the only fish here were behind him, where he couldn't even enjoy them.

"I'll give it a shot," he said with a sigh.

Gladio clapped him on the shoulder in approval, then leaned back to resume his post. Noctis tried not to sigh too loudly.

For lack of anything better to do, he sought out Ignis in the crowd. Since he'd made his mask himself, he could at least recognize _him_. Much as Noctis wished that Ignis could have just stayed with him at the dais all night, Ignis had insisted that it was in Noctis's better interest if Ignis meandered about and interacted with their guests. 'Collecting intel,' he'd called it. 'Schmoozing,' was what Noctis called it. He finally caught sight of his chamberlain over by one of the banquet tables, smiling politely as he chatted up a rich-looking couple.

As if Noctis had sent him some sort of mental distress signal, Ignis looked up and met his eyes across the terrace. Noctis watched as he bowed and extricated himself from the conversation he'd been having. Then he made his way through the throng to Noctis's side, and bowed again as he approached - first to the king, and then to Noctis himself. He and Gladio exchanged nods as well.

"Can I get you anything, Highness?"

Noctis barely managed not to grimace. He hated it when Ignis stood on ceremony. He knew he was doing it mostly for appearances' sake, but even so…

"I hate this," Noctis muttered.

"I know, Noct," Ignis said, keeping his voice down as well.

"Don’t you?"

"Events such as these are to be expected when one is part of a royal household."

"…You hate this, too," Noctis translated.

"Have I masked it so poorly?"

"It’s okay; I won’t tell."

They shared a weary smile.

"If there's anything I can do to alleviate some of your boredom…?"

Noctis thought about it for a moment.

"…You know if there are any more of those bacon-wrapped scallops floating around?"

"I'll see what I can do."

Ignis vanished back into the crowd for a few minutes, and when he returned it was with a plate full of _hors d'oeuvres_ and a glass of water.

"You're a lifesaver," Noctis said, meaning it, as he tried not to scarf the food down too quickly. Years of etiquette training helped only slightly.

Ignis traded places with Gladio while Noctis chowed down, allowing his Shield to go grab some grub of his own and stretch his legs a bit. When he returned, Ignis took Noctis's now-empty plate and glass.

"You're conducting yourself splendidly, Noct. Just a little while longer, now."

With those parting words of encouragement, Ignis moved back among the partygoers, and Noctis tried to sit up a bit straighter in his chair.

\---

"Glad that's over," Noctis sighed several hours later as he toed off his shoes in the foyer. He stepped out of the way to allow Ignis to remove his as well, padding down the hall to the kitchen.

"Start the kettle boiling, won't you?" Ignis called after him, and Noctis did as asked before crossing the room and slumping onto the couch, heedless of his fancy suit. He tossed his mask on the coffee table and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Ignis traced Noctis's earlier steps, entering the kitchen and fetching the rest of the tea set from the cupboard. Noctis followed him idly with his eyes, marveling as he often did at how meticulously Ignis did everything. He knew this routine well. Ignis would make tea for them both. He'd insist on helping Noctis out of his suit - mostly to make sure that it didn't wind up in a rumpled pile on the floor. And then he'd leave and go to his own apartment to finally get some sleep.

It was strange. All night, Noctis had been surrounded by people - had been chomping at the bit to get away from everyone and get some peace and quiet.

Now, with the prospect of Ignis leaving, Noctis realized he didn't really want to be alone.

"Aren't you tired?" he asked. Even as the words left his mouth, he wasn't sure if he meant just now or in general.

Ignis glanced across at him as he removed the kettle from the heat and began to prepare the tea.

"I suppose it has been a long night. Would you like me to leave?"

Noctis blanched.

"That's not what I meant…" He frowned. He didn't want to put Ignis on the spot, if he'd rather just go home, but... "You can spend the night, if you want."

When he looked up, Ignis had turned back to the stove, his expression hidden.

"…It _might_ be remiss of me to get behind the wheel at this hour, after such an eventful evening," he answered after a beat, his words measured and careful, as always.

Noctis's stomach did a little flip.

"So… you'll stay?" he asked, just to make sure, hating the plaintive note that crept into his voice unbidden.

Ignis gave a thoughtful hum as he set everything he'd prepared on a tray and carried it over, placing it in front of Noctis before seating himself on the couch. He set his masked glasses on the table as well - he'd exchanged them in the car for his unadorned ones, for safety's sake. Noctis was quick to snatch up his teacup, adding a copious amount of honey to it while he ignored the exasperated look that flickered across his chamberlain's face.

"I believe I _will_ stay," Ignis answered finally, and Noctis felt a warmth in his chest entirely unrelated to the tea he carefully sipped at to save face.

\---

Noctis was feeling good and tired by the time they were finished, but as Ignis cleared their dishes, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Huh," he mused aloud.

"Something the matter?"

"I just realized - all those fancy dance lessons Dad made me take as a kid, and nobody even asked me tonight."

Ignis chuckled.

"Would you have wanted them to?"

"No," Noctis answered without hesitation. At Ignis's questioning look, he added, "It's just the principle of the thing, y'know?"

"I imagine they were all simply too nervous to treat their _prince_ as a _pal_ ," Ignis quipped.

Noctis glowered at him through his bangs, unimpressed.

"What about you?" he asked, eager to distract Ignis from making any more puns at his expense. Ignis had barely left his peripheral all evening, and Noctis had seen plenty of their guests approach Ignis, but he hadn't danced with a single one.

Noctis was surprised when Ignis looked back at him. He seemed almost nervous.

"I…" Ignis hedged, and cleared his throat. Then he adjusted his glasses.

Noctis sat up from where he'd slouched against the arm of the couch, concern making him more alert.

"Specs?"

"It wouldn't have been appropriate, Noct - you know that."

Noctis stared at him, uncomprehending. Were they having the same conversation?

"Ignis, you could've danced with someone at the party if you wanted to. It's not against any kind of rule. Just cuz you're part of my retinue doesn't mean…"

Noctis paused. Ignis had gone very still and silent. Noctis's chamomile-addled brain struggled to read between the lines. What had he missed? What had he messed up this time?

He replayed their conversation in his mind, and then it finally dawned on him.

_'What about you?'_

Ignis thought he'd been asking if _he'd_ been too nervous to ask Noctis to dance.

And, based on the way he was reacting, Noctis had the distinct impression that Ignis had _wanted_ to.

He felt his face heat up. Ignis didn't appear to be faring much better.

"Apologies, Noct," Ignis started, recovering first. "I believe I misunderstood your--"

"Let's do it," Noctis interrupted, jumping to his feet.

Ignis stared up at him.

Noctis snatched his discarded mask from the table and secured it back in place, desperately glad to have something to hide behind. Then he took a deep breath and held out his hand, offering Ignis a shallow bow.

"Dance with me?" he asked, more quietly than he'd intended.

Ignis looked stunned.

Noctis stood very still. His heart pounded out the seconds as they ticked past, each one hurting worse than the last.

Why did he always screw everything up?

Noctis straightened, slowly, an apology already forming on his tongue as he began to withdraw.

It died on his lips as Ignis took his hand and rose to his feet, sweeping into a bow of his own.

"I'd be honored, Noct."

Noctis's throat felt tight.

Ignis motioned to the table with his other hand.

"A moment, if I may…?"

Noctis waited in silence as Ignis traded his normal glasses for the pair with the mask that Noctis had so carefully crafted just for him. Then the warmth of his hand returned.

They'd made it to the open part of Noctis's floor before he mentally kicked himself.

"Forgot about music…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Ignis gave a curt nod, striding quickly over to Noctis's sound system and inserting his own phone into the speaker.

"Any requests?"

"You pick."

Ignis scrolled through his music library while Noctis tried not to fidget.

Was this really happening?

Soft strings began to play as Ignis returned to his side. Noctis immediately realized they had another dilemma.

"You should probably lead," he admitted. Ignis was the better dancer, and besides which, he had a good few inches on Noctis in the height department.

A flicker of doubt flashed in Ignis's eyes, which were really very green, now that Noctis was staring directly into them from this close.

"As you wish," Ignis relented. He took Noctis's hand, resting his other behind Noctis's shoulder, and, counting them off softly to catch up to the song, stepped forward.

Noctis stepped backward.

They made it halfway around the room before Noctis stumbled, missing a step.

"Damn it," he grumbled as Ignis caught him and set him to rights.

This wasn't working. It was awkward and clumsy and felt all wrong.

"Might I propose we switch?" Ignis asked.

"What good's it gonna do?" Noctis asked sullenly, wishing he'd never suggested this.

"Oh, I think you'll be surprised," Ignis said, his smile warm and mischievous behind the mask.

Noctis wasn't so sure, but, determined to see this ridiculousness through to its inevitably fail-tastic conclusion, he humored Ignis and traded places with him.

They began again.

This time, it clicked.

Following the flow of the music, they glided along, up and down and around Noctis's living room, as best the space would allow. 

Noctis was, indeed, surprised.

"What the hell?" he muttered, keeping the rhythm somehow, despite his misgivings.

"You're a natural leader, Noct," Ignis said with a hint of pride. "And wherever you may lead, I shall always follow."

Noctis was glad once again for the mask as he blinked a few times to clear his vision.

"Thanks, Specs," he said softly.

They danced their way through the remainder of the song, and Noctis would have liked to keep going, except that the gentle swaying and the tea were catching up to him. His proper posture had deteriorated over the course of the song, until he was practically asleep with his head on Ignis's shoulder. Through the fog, he heard Ignis suggest that perhaps they should retire for the night, and he gave the slightest of nods.

He let Ignis half-drag him to his room for the second time that evening, and, while Noctis stood there yawning, Ignis helped him out of his suit, dutifully hanging it up to be taken to the dry cleaners later.

"Sleep well, Noct," he said, ushering Noctis toward the bed.

"You too," Noctis said, already half asleep. Just as Ignis reached the door, Noctis remembered something.

"…Crap."

"What's the matter?"

"The spare room…"

He'd left all his craft supplies strewn all over the guest bed.

"It's no matter. I can clean it up before I turn in."

Noctis gnawed on his bottom lip, not liking the idea of Ignis doing yet more work when it was already this late.

"Don't bother. Just share mine," he heard himself say.

"Noct…"

"What? It's not like we've never slept in the same bed before."

Granted they'd been a lot younger the last time, but still…

He could see Ignis weighing the pros and cons of propriety versus practicality in his too-smart head, and decided to make the choice for him. He caught Ignis's hand and dragged him over to the bed.

"Sleep," he said, in the most authoritative tone he could manage, which wasn't much, considering he was nodding off where he stood.

"…As you command, Highness," Ignis finally conceded. "I'll just be a moment."

Noctis rolled into bed as Ignis vanished momentarily to brush his teeth and change out of his own suit. He had a few spare items of clothing in the hall closet, and he was wearing them when he returned to the room. He folded his glasses and set them carefully on Noctis's bedside table along with his phone, then climbed into bed beside him.

It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but Noctis didn't mind. He never minded much of anything, when it came to Ignis.

"Tonight was lovely," Ignis said quietly into the stillness.

"Mmhm," Noctis agreed. "Sorry for the rough start."

"Think nothing of it," Ignis said easily. "All's well that ends well."

Noctis curled into Ignis's side and closed his eyes.

All considered, things had ended very well, indeed.


End file.
